Air drying imitation leather finish



' Patented Apr. 14, 1936 AIR DRYING IMITATION LEATHER FINISH Harvey G. Kittredge and Albert J. Turner, Dayton, Ohio, assignors to The Kay and Ess Chemical Corp., Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application December 28, 1934, Serial No. 759,548

8 Claims.

This invention relates to enamels and varnishes, and particularly to imitation leather finishes in colors.

Itis the object of the invention to produce an imitation leather finish that upon drying will have the appearance of leather, but which does not need to be baked at high temperatures heretofore required in the art fromv 300 to 400 degrees F. It also eliminates the use of embossing rolls-in order to give the appearance of leather, because upon drying in the air at ordinary temperatures, from 60 to '70 degrees F., the material of the present invention gives the appearance of leather, and has the soft, smooth body and feel of leather.

It is the purpose of this invention to produce an imitation leather finish .that will air dry at ordinary temperatures of from 60 to '70 degrees F.

It is a further object to provide such a finish which does .not have to be'heat-treated after the finish has been applied priorto the baking operation. a

It is also an object to eliminate both the heattreating and baking operations.

In order to'accomplish the objects of this invention' we first prepare a varnish, hereafter .known as Varnish A.

Varnish A A typical formula is the following:

' a Pounds Amberol 3/8 1 Lt -6'l Litharge Manganese linoleate (solid) 8% ,Cobaltlinoleate (do) 2 k Gallons China-wood oil 20 Linseed nil 2% Heavy petroleum naphtha .1... 14 Light petroleum naphtha 14 Amberol is a phenol, formaldehyde, synthetic resin. It is made as follows: one hundred parts of phenol aldehye resin dimcultly fusible and only partly soluble in benzol and other solvents stances are then removed while stirring and 100 parts of glycerol of 28 degrees B. are added in small quantities whereupon the mixture is heated to 250 degrees C. and kept at this temperature for several hours while being stirred carefully. A typical formula for amberol is shown in United States Patent No. 1,623,901.

In order to prepare this varnish, we first take 20 gallons of China-wood oil or tung oil and 2% gallons refined linseed oil. These oils are mixed and heated at a normal rate to 480 degrees F. They are then pulled from the fire. These oils .may undergo an automatic rise in temperature thereafter beyond 480 degrees F., but this is unnecessary and too great a rise should be avoided.

When the temperature of these o'ils has started to drop reaching approximately 475 degrees F., we add 3 pounds'of litharge, stirring until the litharge is taken up by the oil. The temperature of this batch is then run back and forth between 460 degrees and 470 degrees, being held within this range for approximately 30 minutes and in some cases a little longer until sufiicient body has been imparted to the oil and litharge. Thereafter weadd 8% pounds of manganese solid linoleate and 2 pounds of cobalt solid linoleate. These soluble driers melt into the batch. We then add 67 pounds of synthetic resin solid. known to the trade as "Amberol 3/8 1 Light." This is melted at a low heat. Then the temperature is carried back to approximately 425 degreesF. We then thin the batch at .once with 14 gallons each of heavy and light petroleum naphtha. The resulting compound may be used by itself or in combination with the product of the formula hereinafter recited.

Thereafter we prepare Varnish B.

- Pounds South sea gum (Batu) 87 Litharge 3% Managanese linoleate 8% Cobalt linoleate 2' Gallons China-wood oil 20 Linseed oil 2% Heavy-petroleum naphtha 20 Light petroleum naphtha 20 The cooking is carried out in this manner. Sixty-seven pounds of South Sea gum, also known Parts Varnish A 81 Varnish 405 Raw tung (China-wood) oil l 9 Drier. 9' Petroleum naphtha 5-10 gallons of China-wood oil and 2 gallons of refined linseed oil are mixed and heated slowly until they reach 300; or 350 degrees F., then they are added slowly to the gum when the latter has been well run.

The mixture is then carried to a temperature of 460 to 4'70 degrees F. and held within this range, in order to impart body to the mixture, for about 30 minutes or a little longer.

We then stir into the batch 3 pounds of litharge until it is taken up and fully incorporated in the batch. The 8 pounds of manganese solid linoleate and 2 pounds of cobalt solid linoleate are allowed to melt in the batch.

We then thin at once with gallons each of heavy and light petroleum naphtha. Turpentine may be substituted for the naphtha.

In order to make the compound of this invention, either one of the above varnishes or both are combined with raw tung (China-wood) oil and a drier. A thinner can be added optionally. The proportion of Varnish A with respect to Varnish B may be two to one, or vary therebetween, or Varnish B with respect to Varnish A may be two to one, or vary therebetween. In either event, the China-wood oil will vary in number of parts from approximately 5 to parts. The drier will vary from approximately 5 to 25 parts, and the thinner will vary from i to 10 parts, depending upon the viscosity desired.

Example 1 A typical example of a satisfactory compound for the practice of this invention is the following:

To one gallon of this compound we add 5 to '1 pounds of the desired color, previously ground in spar varnish.

Varnish A has the function of fast drying, and imparts a high luster. Varnish B has a medium drying rate, and provides a low luster. Chinawood oil facilitates a very wrinkled drying .without gloss and adds opacity to the product. The thinner controls the viscosity and the drier has the following functions and characteristics:

When the compound of this invention is applied it must first flow out evenly on the surface treated and then the drying must begin almost at once on the surface of the wet compound by the formation of microscopic wrinkles. This initial wrinkling then proceeds through the whole thickness of the film as the complete drying proceeds.

The preferred drier that we have found to best serve this purpose comprises linoleate 01! lead, linoleate of cobalt, and linoleate of manganese. The cobalt and manganese, particularly the cobalt, accelerate the surface drying, as described above, while the lead and manganese are utilized for completing the drying completely through the film. This combination of cobalt and manganese supplies quick initial surface drying necessary, while the lead and the manganese supply the necessary catalytic action for the drying through the film.

as Batu gum, are run in the ordinary approved fashion customary in varnish making. Then 20 4 Drier example One of the preferred formulas which we have used'ls as follows:

Pounds Linoleate of lead 385 Linoleate of cobalt n 889 Linoleate of manganese 14 These are melted at as low heat-as possible, and when entirely fluid the mass is thinned with 1202 gallons of'turpentine, either gum spirits or wood spirits, or some slowly evaporating coal tar fraction, such as xylene. It will be understood that the proportions of these elements of the drier can be varied according to the result desired. By adjusting these proportions the velocity of the surface drying and drying throughout the film can be regulated.

'It will be understood that we desire to comprehend within our invention such modifications as come within the scope of our claims and our invention.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an improved enamel composition for producing imitation leather finishes which are airdrying at temperatures between60 and 90 degrees F., a synthetic resin varnish, a natural resin varnish in the proportions of from two to one or one to two parts with respect to one another, raw China-wood oil in the proportion of from five to twenty-five parts, and a drier in the proportion of from five t0 twenty-five parts, said drier consisting of linoleates of cobalt, lead and manganese.

2. In an improved enamel composition for producing imitation leather finishes which are airdrying between 60 and 90 degress F., a. synthetic resin varnish, a natural resin varnish in the proportions of from two to one or one to two parts with respect to one another, raw China-wood oil in the proportion of from five to twenty-five parts, a drier, consisting of linoleates of cobalt. lead and manganese, in the proportion of from five to twenty-five parts, and from one to ten parts of a petroleum naphtha thinner.

3. In an improved enamel composition for producing imitation leather finishes which are airdrying between 60 and 90 degrees F., a synthetic resin varnish, a natural resin varnish in the proportions of from two to one or one to two parts with respect to one another, raw China-wood oil in the proportion of from five to twenty-five parts, a drier, consisting of linoleates of cobalt, lead and manganese, in the proportion of from five to twenty-five parts, and from one to ten parts of a petroleum naphtha thinner, saiddrier comprising linoleate of lead, linoleate of cobalt, linoleate of manganese, and a solvent.

4. In an improved enamel composition for producing imitation leather finishes which are airdrying at temperatures between 60 and 90 degrees F., approximately eighty-one parts of synthetic resin varnish, approximately forty and one-half parts of natural resin varnish, approximately nine parts of raw China-wood oil, approximately nine parts of a drier composed of linoleate of lead, linoleate of cobalt and linoleate of manganese mixed with turpentine, and one to ten parts of petroleum naphtha thinner.

5. In an improved enamel composition for producing imitation leather fin shes which are air-drying at temperatures approximating nor.

mal room temperature, approximately eightyone parts 01 synthetic resin varnish, approximately forty and one-half parts of natural resin varnish, approximately nine parts of raw Chinawood oil, approximately nine parts 01 a drier composed of linoleate of lead, linoleate 0'! cobalt and linoleate of manganese mixed with turpentine, one to ten parts of petroleum naphtha thinner, and a color compound ground in spar varnish.

6. In an improved enamel'composition for producing imitation leather finishes which are airdrying at temperatures between and degrees F., the combination of the following: Approximately eighty-one parts of synthetic resin Varnish A; approximately forty and one-hall parts Varnish B; approximately nine parts of raw China-wood oil; approximately nine parts of a drier composed of linoleate 01' lead, linoleate of cobalt and linoleate oi. manganese, and turpentine solvent.

7. In an improved enamel composition for producing imitation leather finishes which are airdrying at temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees l"., the combination of the following: Approximately eighty-one parts of synthetic resin Varnish A; approximately forty and one-half parts Varnish B; approximately nine parts of raw China-wood oil; .approidmately nine parts cl 0; drier composed of linoleateo! lead, linoleate of cobalt and linoleate oimanganese, turpentine solvent, and from one to ten parts of petroleum naphtha.

8. In an improved enamel composition for producing imitation leather finishes which are airdrying between 60 and degrees F., the combination of the following: Approximately eighty- Olie parts of synthetic resin Varnish A; approximately forty, and one-half parts Varnish B; approximately nine parts oi raw China-wood oil; approximately nine parts of a drier composed of linoleate 01' lead, linoleate oi cobalt and linoleate of manganese, turpentine solvent, from one to ten parts oi petroleum naphtha, and a color ground in spar varnish.

HARVEY G. KI'I'I'REDGE. ALBERT J. TURNER. 

